Personal dynamics
The relentless pace of work and life means a lot rests on the shoulders of leaders. Keeping up with technological innovation, rapidly changing customer demands and the plethora of emerging competitors can leave you feeling stretched.
At the same time, digital footprints could leave you open to personal scrutiny, reputational and safety risks amid growing 'clicktivism' and cancel culture.
Where personal meets professional
The separate reputations of established corporate brands and the leaders and owners behind them are always intertwined.
It's a two-way street: the actions of key individuals have an ability to damage the reputation of the company, and vice versa. For example, a CEO's openly visible lifestyle (via public, family Instagram accounts), personal views (expressed on Twitter), or exposed private life can cause backlash to their company. Protecting key people is key to protecting the business and its reputation.
But what if you're a start-up with no established corporate reputation yet? In these early stages, all eyes will fall on you and your personal reputation as a founder.
Michael Yates
Senior Counsel
Protecting your reputation
Given the growth and success of your new business can live and die by the value of your own reputation, it's essential you detect, challenge and protect it before approaching new third parties such as investors, banks or lateral hires. But how?
As your business is new and media attention is unlikely at this early stage, your focus as a founder should be on what's available about you personally or your family online. The types of questions you should be asking yourself before a new funding round or pitch include:
- What information is available on the clear, deep and dark web, or on social media?
- What do your own search results say?
- What images are available of you and your family?
- Who are you or your family associated with online?
- What information are due diligence platforms providing to financial institutions or others considering doing business with you?
- Has information about you been stolen and published online?
- Has vengeful fake news about you been created by others from past failures or successes?
Here are three preemptive steps you need to take.
Safeguarding your future business
As your business grows and your new, separate corporate brand comes to life, never forget the two-way street and the interconnection between your own reputation and that of the company's.
Also consider how issues or problems from within the company can, if not dealt with properly, lead to adverse media coverage, and take advice on dealing with issues such as employment, investigations, cyber security, shareholder activism or product safety.
Often, if these challenges are dealt with effectively, it can prevent an escalation which might lead to adverse media interest. Lastly, if you find yourself in a media storm and on the receiving end of enquiries and probing questions from journalists prior to the publication of a damaging news story, seek urgent advice from a reputation management specialist.
How to prevent leadership burnout
Leaders and entrepreneurs play to win, set high standards for themselves and are able to operate under extreme pressure. But these qualities can be a double-edged sword where they prevent people prioritising their wellbeing or recognising mental health issues. Attempts to soldier on can cause more serious damage further down the line.
of the C-suite say that improving their wellbeing is more important than advancing their career
Source: Deloitte
Early recognition by oneself or by others means less time off is needed to recover - ignoring it until late stages has a far worse prognosis. Listen to your internal thoughts and put yourself first.
Dr Samina Showghi
The Harley Street General Practice
How can you reduce the risk of burnout affecting you and your business?
By focusing on the above areas, you'll have a better support structure in place to prevent burnout, and be more likely to recognise if it's starting to have a detrimental effect on your health. It might be uncomfortable, but taking action early on can prevent burnout from getting worse and help protect your health and the future of your business.
We must feel empowered to share and help each other during those times of vulnerability and struggle that we all experience, and become more united and healthier as a result.
Laurence Lieberman
Wellbeing Partner, Taylor Wessing
